Always prepped, ready

Published March 18, 2015
By Staff Sgt. J. Aaron Breeden
21st Space Wing Public Affairs

PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. -- In an effort to ensure mission-readiness and preparedness, "big" Air Force conducts inspections of all of its subordinate units and rewards those units that exceed the standard.

Typically, units would "ramp-up" for an inspection to ensure any area that could possibly be inspected is run through with a fine-tooth comb before the inspection team arrived. This is a prime example of inefficient work practices and a mindset the Air Force is actively working to shift.

Enter Airman 1st Class Aaron "PB" Pettaway-Brewington, 21st Wing Staff Agency executive command section admin, a young Airman tasked with a hefty amount of responsibility most Airmen are not given until many years and stripes later.

His job is nothing if not communication - the single most important aspect of any successful organization.

In addition to spending most of his day keeping 21st Space Wing subordinate units on schedule with administrative and personnel related tasks, Pettaway-Brewington also serves as the WSA functional area records manager, which requires ensuring each of the Wing's 16 staff agencies' records are up-to-date, organized and always inspection ready.

While this additional duty may sound mundane, something as simple as paperwork can have exponentially compounding impacts on the overall mission of the Air Force.

For example, he explained the failure to properly coordinate a TDY, which may be required for a deployment, could result in the affected person's inability to deploy on schedule, creating delays and a ripple effect through the entire deployment process.

He said that his job is not necessarily difficult, but tedious, which can cause his work to become overwhelming if poorly managed.

"If you're always ready you don't have to ramp up," he said. "Not only does staying prepared make things easier for you, but also easier for others."

By successfully accomplishing his daily duties, as well as his additional duties, Pettaway-Brewington ensures that he and the units he looks after stay not only mission ready, but inspection ready.

Inspection ready